


Feather in coal

by Smooth_cuddles



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Blind Character, Blind Harry, Bullied Harry, Bullying, Café, Cozy, Cuddling, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, I am not too sure what happens either, M/M, Protective Louis, School, Snow, Violence, Winter, cosy, one direction - Freeform, shared flat, sharing bed, teacher, train, uni - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-02
Updated: 2015-07-07
Packaged: 2018-01-17 23:00:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 19,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1405798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smooth_cuddles/pseuds/Smooth_cuddles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry is blind, happy and naive. He likes apples and bananas, and his cat Lily.<br/>Louis is a future teacher and protects Harry from everything bad. He meets Harry unexpectedly and he wouldn´t change that moment for anything.<br/>They try to survive.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Trains takes you places

**Author's Note:**

> This is one of my firsts so be gentle...

 

  


He had crooked smile on, amazed by how snowflakes can be perfect and how short life they live. Louis brought his hand to his face, ran his fingers through eyelashes on tired eyes, which should have been closed for an hour now. He combed through his hair and sighed. Smile long gone because he caught himself comparing his life to snowflakes, how pathetic is that. Shaking his head he looked down on his watches once more, another five minutes passed by and train was still on the same spot.

"There is hardly few snowflakes outside, what are they playing at?" he murmured tiredly. Okay it was fucking snowstorm out there, he was actually pretty glad he is in train and feeling warm.   
Just as he was starting to showing his gratitude to God, lights switched off and next minute he felt that there was no heat coming out of the box under the sit. He was sitting there in the dark, looking forward.   
28 curses on top of his tongue when doors to cabin, where he was all alone, snapped open. From the light of his phone he could see tall boy sit on the spot in front of him. He didn’t say anything so nor did Louis.   
The kid wore sunglasses and Louis was thinking about all the reasons why he should not mock stranger about their preferences or life choices. He shook his head to at least show this kid how ridiculous he is being and returned to his life/snowflake comparison.  
"I’m sorry, is there someone?"  
And with this only sentence Louis was so fuckin´grateful to authors of those books which were saying that " to be silent when you want to speak the most is the best thing to do".  
This kid was blind and Louis immediately felt guilty and bad about wanting to insult him as some teenager with bad taste in fashion.

"Uh.. yeah sorry. I should have coughed or something..." he placed his face in his hands as soon as the words slipped from his mouth.  
Kid actually laughed and relaxed a little. Nobody said anything for a long time or Louis thought it was a long time, because it was starting to getting cold and there was no light, his mobile battery wasn´t magic to shine all night and there was this interesting kid he didn´t know at all. It felt strange and somewhat surreal. Exactly like being ripped out of stereotype life of working person. There is now something different happening in Louis´s days in long time and he doesn´t know how to deal with it.

"Hello, we are so sorry. Train is apparently unable to move on since there is snowstorm outside, but help is on it´s way and we will be able to be moving soon. Be patient please. Here..." woman said from the cabin door and handed Louis two thin blankets.  
"Train heating is not working?" Louis asked as he grabbed them and immediately placed them on his legs.  
"There is something wrong with the electricity sir, but we are working on it. I´ll close the door, it will get warm sooner." she said, closed the door and left to another cabin.

"I´m sorry" boy said as he held his hands together probably to catch some warm " I left the door open"  
"That´s okay, really. Here." Louis said. Placing one of the blankets on top of kid´s hands. He grabbed it and pulled it over himself. The blanket was thin and small, it didn´t even reached boy´s waist as he pulled it all the way up to his nose. Louis grabbed the second blanket and he covered the stranger´s lap.  
"Oh... thanks. They were giving two of them to each?" kid asked.  
Louis smiled fondly at the question. Of course they weren´t, but this kid was freezing there in his stupid red sweater and jeans with holes in it. What he was supposed to do?  
"Yeah." he smiled.  
"Great" kid hummed and Louis was baffled by how cheerful this kid was in such situation. He sat with two shitty blankets in cold and dark train, with Louis, unable to see and he was actually smiling.  
"So...travelling alone? Why did you switched cabins?" Louis tried to not drop the small talk.  
"I am not bothering you am I?" boy squeezed his arms little tighter around himself as wave of cold air hit his body.  
"Oh, no no! Not at all, I am just curious I guess..." Louis answered quickly. He averted his gaze, not being used to talk to blind person.  
"Umm.. I am travelling with some of my mates from school.. and, eh.. they like to tease me a little bit about.. you know" he moved his glasses up his nose to point out his unfortunate. "aaand.. today was long day and, I mean.." he coughed and ended it at that.  
"I see..." Louis´s brows furrowed. How could anyone tease blind kid, he looked cool and nice on top of that.  
"I am Harry."  
"Louis... really nice to meet you." he grabbed Harry´s hand from his lap ´cause it´s just what people do, shake their hands while introducing and he didn´t see any reason why it should be any different with Harry.  
"Lovely to meet you too, Louis." Harry smiled widely obviously pleased with physic contact.

*screeeeeeech*

"Oh god... haha...what was that?" Harry tensed clutching his heart and laughing awkwardly to hide his obvious fear.  
"Earthquake.." Louis said jokingly, but his heart pumped too in sudden loud noise.  
Train started to move and lights were all alive again. Louis was thankful that he didn´t have to spend his night in this train. He had yoga and green tea waiting for him in the morning and these kind of shit when you decide to live healthily and organised , but end up with cigarette and coffee anyway.  
As soon Louis put his temple on cold surface of train window, Harry shuffled under the blankets.  
"So... going home from work?" he asked. Maybe he wanted to talk too. Louis wondered If Harry talks to anyone at all.He looked at him. Harry´s head was hanged down and his glasses slightly pulled off his eyes. Louis could see his eyelashes restlessly fluttering. He was thinking If Harry was nervous or If it´s just a thing he can´t control.  
"Erm.. no. I was in London for meeting with school principal actually" Louis snorts as he is talking in false serious/business tone.  
"Oh really? Studying?"  
"Not exactly. Um... I am going there for practice. Wanna be teacher.. teaching kids stuff that really matters.."  
"That´s nice thing to go after." Harry is genuinely smiling and that makes Louis heart warm all over. Someone is thinking that it´s nice idea. It´s true that he is presenting this idea as something to kill some time, but truth is that Louis really wants to make some difference. Anywhere. To prove to himself that his life is not as shit as it really is and he is not unimportant, to make kids realize it too, that they can make difference in their own way. He feels like he doesn´t have to play any games on Harry though.  
Louis in next half an hour realizes that they are actually going to same school and that Harry is in extra classes to catch up some studying, because he hates school for disabled. Louis doesn´t think that Harry is stupid, completely opposite. He talks about good books and authors which are not that known, but are important for people to know nonetheless. He has his own opinions on different things, which are not stupid and hateful, but reasonable and realistic.

They talk all the way to Bristol, when suddenly doors bangs open once again. Loud laugh is ringing through their cabin as few boys falls in.  
"Harry mate! Where´ve ya been?" one of them grabbed Harry around shoulders. They obviously drank some alcohol and Louis started to feel little uneasy. Harry´s glasses fell down on the ground and he quickly covers his eyes as if he was brought to bright light after 20 years in prison. His left hand went down for them, but those loud animals shake him jokingly in all ways and Louis could see Harry being slightly lost. He had uneasy smile on, but Louis did nothing. He grabbed the glasses though and placed them in his lap. Everyone were jumping around and slowly coaxing Harry out of cabin to walk him home, as Louis could hear from their slurs.  
"Hey Harry" Louis said quickly placed glasses in his hand and before Harry could say anything he was pushed out of train by what he assumed were his mates he was talking about. All the lads were laughing and Harry was walking straight so Louis didn´t find anything wrong with just going home and drink some beer.   
That was how they met.  
\---  
Monday--  
Next week on Monday he is on train again. He maybe, just maybe wishes for Harry to be in his cabin again so it would past by faster, but he is not even in the train.  
He was passing by trees and small towns. This morning kicked him back to his boring stereotype life. He hated it so much. Thinking about lot of things which are a lot thought about by others too, but not being said out loud. Like why people make fun of each others, why there are people who hate animals or why there are people who are blind. What´s the point?  
Finally he was in front of school again. Snow was slowly melting, like it wasn´t snowstorm all weekend or anything. Sun makes his day little bit better nonetheless.  
Maybe he will enjoy this pointless practice after all. He smiles to himself, sips from his sweetened coffee and makes brave step forward...

...."Fuckin´ brat!" Louis smudges his fresh sweetened coffee all over his white business-like shirt because some.... kid "accidentally" bumped onto him while he snickered with all his friends behind the corner. Brown stain, all over his front, will make good first impression.  
\------  
"Uh so class..." nice woman home-teacher says to her class as her lips are trying not to break into full laugh. Louis actually likes the woman, she is not some rule-ass-kissing old geezer. " This is Mr. Tomlinson, he will be there with us for some time to catch some teaching tips from the best teacher of teachers staff" woman smugly says and yes, Louis definitely likes her. "Be nice! Patrick... legs down, now." she calls out to some kid. " You can sit over there Louis" she smiles at him.  
"Thanks ... Perrie" Louis reads her name tag and goes for desk which was at the very back by wall and window  
\---.  
First day went good so far. Just by lunch Louis realised he didn´t see Harry at all. He seated down by only free table in cafeteria with another cup of coffee and some sweet cake. ’The school is pretty big’ ’He can be ill’ ’I heard his school name wrong’ and Louis was making up next reasons and things why he should not be disappointed by his lack of luck.   
He actually believed he would meet him today, to tell him that he wasn´t treated right by those guys and that he could actually stay with Louis and hide behind him. He wouldn´t mind, Harry is just a kid after all.  
\---  
"Oh god Louis stop saving others. Have your life and don´t give a fuck what´s going on with others. Look at you! All depressed again!"  
Louis was drunk and he didn´t want to listen to his friends to tell him how much he should care about others. He just do, what´s wrong with it? Maybe he absorbs all the bad things which are happening in others life, what´s wrong with it? Maybe he already fucked up his life by same mistake over and over, but what´s wrong with wanting to help people? And maybe he doesn´t fuckin´ want to care about people, he just do... and it´s all so fucked up he just..

"Oh wow man! Don´t cry jesus...Hey sorry I didn´t mean to, but you are drunk, go home, sleep and tomorrow call me, yeah? Hey! Don´t make me feel like a dick now." Peter shake him up so he won´t lay on the table.  
"Sorry.." he hiccuped, threw too much money on table and stood up. "Byee.." All the way across dancing floor he hoped for someone to notice that he is crying. That he is human too and that he actually really needs to be noticed. He won´t stop to give anyone chance though so he doesn´t feel so pathetic as cool air already hits his body on his way home through dark street.  
\---  
Tuesday--  
Next day he has much more luck. First reason, he does not have hangover, which is not actually Mrs. Luck´s work but Mr.Paracetamol´s work. Second reason, he does not have any stain on his shirt today, which again is not Mrs.Luck´s work, but it´s because he overslept and didn´t make it to Stacy´s Cafe. Third reason, he is really truly happy he does not have that hangover.  
But all those things were forgotten minute he saw those sunglasses in his first class. He truly has lucky day today.


	2. Cheese sandwich

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be patient with me. Just the beginning I promise. :-))

As Louis looked at Harry he panicked. What if he doesn´t remember his voice? He became nervous and actually walk around Harry to his desk without single word.   
"What are you? Twelve?" Louis muttered to himself. He folded his arms on his desk and lay down on them, nuzzling his chin in his hoodie. He looked at Harry´s back and could even see part of his smiling face. That made Louis discreetly smile too.

  
Weather was kind of grey-ish so whole class was sleepy and laziness could be cutted in this room. Harry was glowing though.  
He did not see anyone being pissed off or sleepy, he didn´t see that it wasn´t sunny today, nearly raining. It didn´t ruin his mood as he was searching for something in his backpack. Louis was really envious of him, cause his mood could be broken by anything really.

  
Harry finally pulled out book, placing it carefuly on desk. It looked like he was measuring distance between the corner of the book and edge of the table. After he placed it successfuly, he started to search in his backpack again bitting his lip. Louis smirked at Harry´s behaviour. He acted like kid in his first day at school and It was more endearing than laughable. He found himself to be quite interested in this person, maybe it was because he seemed to be so fresh and different from others. Louis was pretty sure it wasn´t because of his fancy sunglasses covering his broken eyes.

  
He watched him some more when few boys entered the room. They were talking about something, but stopped as soon as they registered Harry. They came up to him quietely and grabbed the book from his desk, waiting by Harry´s side. Louis watched the situation and wasn´t sure how to react as he straightened in his chair brows furrowing. What are they up to?

  
After few moments Harry pulled out red apple and placed it in the other corner of his desk and went for search once again. One of the boys chuckled quietly, grabbed apple too and took a generous bit. As Louis was about to stand up and not so nicely ask them what is their problem teacher entered the classroom. He remained in his chair then and looked as those assholes went to their desks and snickered along the way.

  
Harry finally pulled last thing on his desk, which was mobile. He then reached for a book on the side where he carefully placed it before, but his hand landed on empty desk. His smile fell and he started to searching for it around whole table. When he couldn´t find it, he actually went down on knees to search on the ground, his hand hitting desk few times. Louis couldn´t watch.

  
"You are not prepared for lesson again Mr.Styles?" teacher said with stern and deep voice. Louis could see those boys chuckling and exchanging amused looks as Harry crawled back on his chair with confused...no... scared expression. How would unblind feel If things were disappearing on it´s own around him, probably like Harry.

  
"I am sorry sir, do you think it´s easy for him to be prepared with the attitude that his classmates are giving him?" Louis stood up, but talking calmly.

  
He could see Harry halfway turn around, trying to recognize Louis´s voice. Those dicks nervously strightened and looked at Louis like betrayed puppies, like he was their best friend and he just betrayed them.

  
"This school is prestigious, NOT made for slow students, Mr.....uhh"  
"Tomlinson... I am pretty sure that this school is not for ignorant teachers either. Mr....uhh" Louis sat down and coughed, looking forward. He won this round.  
Girls were giggling, but furthermore everything was silenced.

  
Teacher said nothing, Harry said nothing and atmosphere was all together really thick and shit whatsoever. "Great" Louis cursed as he realized he just made his life harder. He hanged down his head, determined to say nothing for the rest of his life.  
\----  
After class Louis was waiting by the class door for Harry. Those shitheads gave Harry his book back without saying anything so when Harry found it back on his desk, he didn´t really know where it came from. Louis glared at them as they were exiting the room and harshly bumped into his shoulder.

  
"Watch it.." he hissed as he looked back at the culprit of his sore shoulder.

  
Harry did not have same smile from this morning, but smiling nonetheless. He was sitting in the same spot, book in backpack, without his apple to eat and still quiet.  
"Hey, you coming?" Louis called.  
Harry´s head shot in Louis´s direction. That was moment when he realized he didn´t know about him.

"Is that Louis?" he brightens.

"Yeah, why are you still sitting there?" Louis frowns and walks to him.

"Umm.. teachers always accompany me to next class." Harry says and Louis looks at empty desk, where the ignorant teacher was moment ago, but now long gone. Harry would probably end up sitting there or get lost around the school by next hour.

_\--I hate them..._

"You won´t make it by yourself?" Louis tries to not to look like douchebag. Hard to do when one can´t see.  
"Eh... classes are always in different rooms and I don´t really have anyone who could tell me where to go so... it´s always so embarassing to ask for directions. Especially when I call out loudly in corridor and nobody responds" Harry is laughing at his terrible, terrible joke.

_\--I hate them all..._

" You are not angry? At those people? Or even at this profesor?" unbeliavable.

"Not really, he is right... and I don´t really want to keep someone back from their studying." Harry hums, not looking affected by his statement at all.  
Louis is not really too sure when was the last time he pityed anyone else than himself. This kid.... somehow he decided to interact with people in this school.

"C´mon, I am going to walk you. Don´t have any classes till luch anyway. Up..." Louis says and in moment they are walking with each other so naturally, like they were doing it for years. Harry clinging to Louis´s arm and talking about something... Louis was pretty sure it was about candy cotton or kittens, but too light headed to actually listen. They were bullying blind kid in this oh-so-prestigious school and this kid didn´t even realize.  
Where did this person came from? Completely unharmed despite his condition... Louis was pretty sure he wouldn´t interact with him If Harry took his blindness as a handicap and made shield with it against others. Such as ’I am blind, be kind to me’

Someone is thinking that Louis is dick, arrogant or even (God forgive me) mean. Truth is, that he really despise people, who are pitying themselves for small and worthless reasons or those who are taking advantage of real misfortunate.  
\---  
"I am telling you... he is like he was born and raised in marshmallow.." Louis described Harry as some rarity, which he was.   
In this city full of toxic teenagers and adults...where being kind was kiss-ass-thing and being non-smoker handicap, Harry was amazing soul in cracked body and Louis felt like If Harry won´t be careful enough, he would end up like everyone else. Like broken, hesistant kid, who does not know where he belongs, what love looks like and what matters more than money, expensive cars and Iphones.

"But... you met him few days ago, sorry love, it´s so not you. When you think of it, I was considered as "nice" after half a year Louis! Half a year!" Liam points out jokingly from behind the counter while he was organising some cups.  
This Liam huh... already knows him, Louis never speaks about anyone in such a dreamy way, not by himself at least. Unless it´s Niall.

"Honestly.." Louis sips at his hot chocolate with loads of cream on it. " where is Niall, I want huge cuddle."

"I´m right here!! But I am swiming in flour, wait a minute my dearest!" he hears Nialll from the kitchen in high pitched voice.

He loves Stacy´s Cafe the most. Liam lives with Niall upstairs and since Niall really doesn´t have any money for rent, he bakes some pastries now and then for Liam´s shop. Louis did once asked Liam, why he didn´t named his shop Liam´s Cafe. He told him, that this cafe belonged to his fiancé and that is all Louis knows about the name and he did not push it either.

"Ahhh, I love the dark chocolate cookies the most" Niall comes from the kitchen and stretching, untying his apron.

"Yeah me too" Louis looks up.

"Really??" Niall holds his hand up for high five.

"Nope" Louis smiles with creamy moustache.

***smack***  
\-----

" ... but he didn´t like tomatoes at all!" Harry laughed at one of his long long stories which definitely ended up with tomatoes.

"I don´t get it." Louis says flatly and took a huge bite of his sandwich.

"He had tomatoes for lunch, but then he...nevermind" Harry chuckled. Well as long as one of them got the point of whole joke then it´s alright.

They were sitting for lunch in cafeteria in school by the table where Harry sat whole year apparently. It was only table left, by the bin. There was always room by that table but he always asked people to share their table so he won´t have to sit exactly where he is sitting now. He didn´t mind so much now though.  
Louis peeked into Harry´s lunch box. There was messily prepared cheese sandwiches and an apple, of course.

"Your mom makes these?"

"Nope, me myself. Looks good?" Harry says taking grab of the sandwich, pointing at it with proud smile.

"Yeah" No. "So your mom does not make you lunch?"

Harry just shakes his head and instead of smiling he takes a bit of that plain-dry-nobody-would-eat-it sandwich.

"Where is she? She´s not dead is she?" Louis would feel horrible. Please don´t say yes.

"No, she is all healthy. Living with her new partner in Chechire and maybe my sister still lives there too."

"You are living on your own?" Louis´s eyes widens. He does not considers Harry as incapable of living alone, but...

"Yeah actually." Harry says and puts down that cheese thing. Probably tastes as horrible as it looks and takes a bite of apple next. " I have a lot of money saved so I don´t have to work. Have nice flat and cat, her name is Lily."

"Hey.. you okay right? Don´t need some help or anything? I mean.. I have some room in my flat and.." huge pile of pity was all around Louis´s body. How Harry manage to do everything alone.  
The offer came up sooner than he thought it through. He actually does not have any room in his flat. There are unpacked boxes everywhere and he is glad that he squeezes there himself. He would clean up for Harry though.

"Nope, that is totally alright, I can take care of myself" Harry say, his tone suddenly serious, but without drop of venom in it.

"Okay, well.. my door is open." he patted Harrys shoulder.

"Thanks Lou"

"Here" Louis grabs Harrys sandwich and throws it in the bin while he puts his sandwich in Harrys hands.

"Mmm!! Yummy!" ... Louis chuckles and stares at him whole time he eats.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would love to know, what you thiink! Leave comment :-)) Have a lovely day beautiful!


	3. Safe and protect

"Here we go" Louis sighs and sits along with Harry on bench on train station.

"Thanks a lot" Harry tries to wiggle away, but Louis has all his weight on him since he carried him on his back and sat down with him, he has at least this privilege right? Soft and nice arm chair on train station. "Lou.. I can't...move" he wiggles little more and then gives up.

"Well now it's perfect, slide down.. just a little..yeah, now I am comfy.." Louis let another puff of breath out and leans against Harry while closing his eyes. There is silence.

Harry isn't sure where to put his hands, he tries to put them around Louis, but then decides against it. It would be weird right? So he just leaves them on the bench on his sides, which makes him somewhat restless.

"Hey Harry..."

"Yeah?" Harry chokes out. His heart is pounding like crazy for some reason. He is this close to someone after really long time and he can't decide if it's really nice or extremely uncomfortable and too intimate.

"You said you slipped right?"

"Uhm.. yeah. I tripped over my own legs I guess. It's pretty normal. My ankle sure does hurt though." Harry let's out sigh. He decides it is actually pretty nice to have someone this close. To speak to someone and feel vibrations through Louis's back all over his body.

"You didn't hear someone or.."

Harry thinks for a second.. "Louis, I don't think anyone is cappable to make somebody fall. I mean...on purpose. It's kind of ridiculous, don't you think?" Louis feels small incredulous chuckle fan over his ear. 

"Yeah.. I guess you are right. Be careful next time though" he doesn't have heart, or reason really, to tell Harry that there are potential bullies in his school. Those low creatures who find amusing to make Harry's hard life even harder.

"Yes I will. I think your back has limited carry distance" Harry laughs. Louis joins him. He doesn't tell it's actually truth though. Harry doesn't need to know that he is unfit right?  
Louis is trying so hard to not to think that there are those people who would actually try and even scratch this lovely thing underneath him. 

He found Harry sitting on freshly painted bench in front of school. His hands helplessly in his laps covered in red paint and pained expressions breaking through his sad features. He didn't wear his sunglasses, eyes closed, red paint smudged underneath them signaling he tried not to cry and nobody around. Louis stood there for about 6 minutes not less and he just looked. He admired. He felt and he knew. Knew that he is going to be here for him.  
He was thinking about getting back in form so he can at least protect Harry when pair of hands crept on both of his hips. Harry rested them there but said nothing, so nor did Louis. He looked at orange painted sky and suddenly his mind was clear. He felt hands and legs and broad chest all around him and Harry's breath making him slowly fall asleep.

"Lou, train is going to be here soon, shall we... ?" Harry's voice wakes him up along with pair of large hands on his shoulders softly shaking him.

"Ye- yeaah.."he yawns.  
\----

"You offered him to live with you? You can't be serious!!" Peter exclaimed laughing.

"Seriously, I don't know why I am talking to you.." Louis was preparing tea while Peter was sprawled across his couch in living room. It was Saturday and honestly, he didn't want to deal with his judgemental "friends".

"Because I am always right... he would only make your life harder. Serisously Lewis, he is, pardon me, blind. He is going to get attached and then you will have to go everywhere with him, cook for him, you won't even be able to move things so he won't trip over something...........---"

Louis leaned against kitchen counter and looked down, his blades on back touching, his chest rising and falling. He didn't want to listen to this idiot who still lived with his mother and was piece of pretentious prick. Louis owed him money though and that was only reason he had let him be in his life. He was doubting his patience every second. 

"I don't want this shit, c'mon we are going to waste you up, so you will be smarter next time." Peter stood up and declined Louis's tea.

"I don't really have mood or time, really." Louis reminded himself to mark Perrie's English test's. He volunteered to help her since she is such a sweetheart.

"Nonsense! Grab a better shirt I am going for a smoke, 5 minutes, don't doll yourself up so you won't look like a fag again." Peter closed door after himself.  
Louis punched wall, hard.

_Fag, fag, ....fag..._

He didn't hear that word since he was young in the middle school. Since he had wet hair from toilett water and he was sitting in corner in school's bathroom. He was grown up now though. He swallowed lump that ached in his throat, grabbed a jacket and went out.

That night was like any other. He drank, he fell in depression and he left.

Only this time, he was thinking about Harry when he got back home. He lied down on the bed, which squeaked, reminding him it's age, and grabbed his phone.

"...hello... Hello?" 

Louis sighed. Relief instantly washing over him. Harry's voice had calming power.  
He closed his eyes.

"Hello?"Harry asked again."Is..."there was shuffling and struggling"is there someone?"

"It's me."

There was silence for a second. " Louis?"

"Yeah."

"How did you get my number?"

"You had telephone on the desk... I just secretly called myself."

"Cheeky... So you are stalking me now or something?" Harry chuckled. His voice was raspy, Louis obviously woke him up but he didn't hung the call. Louis didn't say anything, he just wanted to listen to Harry. To know he is ok in this very moment.

"Louis, I didn't mean that. I was joking, I am not good at jokes at all-"

"Harry."

"-and.. yeah?" Harry stopped rambling.

"I want you to move in."

"Pardon?"

"Move in with me."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huuuge thanks to those who commented. It actually made me to write another chapter today. Thank youu, hopefully you liked it!  
> Tell me how your day was going, If you are depressed or sad or something went wrong, then tell me too!! I would love to help, because I am not sure about my always optimistic mood either.  
> \---  
> Also I am really sorry about my grammar mistakes -.-" I am trying to get better.  
> I am promising to update soon since this chapter was so short!  
> Looooooove and only love for you!


	4. Sweet gesture

"Harry, I mean it... hey, I have spare room, I can make.."

"Are you drunk?" small voice stopped him.

"What? Of course not.." and he realized how ridiculous this all sounded, how many times he told himself to not let anyone else in and yet... here he was, promising Harry better life by letting him into his broken one.

 

And ... He was drunk.

 

"Are you lying?"

"....yeah... M'sorry, but ..."

"We should talk at school Louis... I don't think that right now is... good time to discuss something like this. I don't think there will be right time to discuss it really... 'Night."

"Harr-" Beep Beep Beep

"He hung up on me.." Louis blinked at display and tried to catch any other sound once more by placing his mobile back to his ear. In next second mobile lied on the floor across the room.

He ran his hands through his hair and his lashes. It wasn't like he felt lonely. It wasn't like he felt like everyone always shut him down. Not that he felt like he never gets his chance to try.

"Fuck..."

\---

Next thing he absolutely adored about Stacy's cafe – It was opened in Sundays.

"Oh c'mhere.. aww" Niall hugged him and Louis really appreciated it. It was his soft spot to be cuddled and being cared for.

He hide his face in Nialls shoulder and tucked his hands in between their bodies as Niall soothed him with running his hand across Louis's back. Niall appeared really small, but when he cuddled Louis he felt like he was twice his size. He wanted to stay there forever really.

"I am sure he didn't mean it ya know? It was in the middle of the night and all.." Niall cooed.

"Mhhmm.."

"Lou are you crying?!" Liam was walking down the stairs.

 

And Louis was...

 

He cringed at the little voice inside him which expected them to laugh. Picture of Peter laughing at him for crying was in front of his eyes. And then he felt Liams firm body pressed against him from behind and his arms together with Niall's hid him from the world. And he made good friends for once. And he could be little weaker at Stacy’s and not feel bad about it.

Louis remembered the question he asked his mom over and over and she didn't know how to answer it. How to make friends ? She answered that just being yourself is fine.

Louis was bullied that time and this answer made him always think that he didn't deserve friends. You know... you don't know at the time you are actually being bullied that the one who is being bullied is you, that you are the one about whom are all the speaks-into-your-soul sessions with teachers. It gets to you later, when you get to know the world. That it doesn't get better and it is normal to be lost, but not alone. And when Louis realized, he was on the streets.

Now, when he thought he could have even something better than friendship with Harry, maybe like person who understands Louis’s soul and even then won’t push him away... he lost him. Harry didn’t say anything wrong, but right now Louis feels that they are not on same wavelenght anymore...

\---

„Louis, I’m so sorry! I hung up on you and this trash didn’t work, I couldn’t call you back and I regreted it so much... are you angry at me? Because I....“ Harry rambled, waved with his weird mobile in front of Louis and more he rambled the more Louis smiled and only thing that made him believe it’s real were Harry’s hands on his shoulder and his adorable-nearly-crying-expression.

And then there was this huge stone that fall from his heart and he felt whole again for some reason. Maybe it was because he finally found that one person who would like him as a person, as a friend.

„Hey, hey, hey... calm down, Harry. I am sorry too, okay? I didn’t mean to... to offend you or something. I just thought, that it would be better for you... like not being alone and such. Like two friends sharing an apartment fees and such...“

„Oh... I thought that you are feeling sorry for me and that you think that I am not capable of living on my own.“ Harrys voice dropped, but he had genuine smile on.

Louis stopped for a second. He searched in Harrys features for something. For something that would help him understand Harry more. He was taken away by Harrys words, because it kind of was like he said. Louis was worried about him. He was worried about the way he eats, about small bruises Harry has on his forearms from all the kind of furniture he collided into the other day. About cuts on his fingers from knife, when he probably tried to prepare his lunches to school. And it was all these little things Louis wanted to help with.  
Why would Harry feel offended for such reasons.

„Not at all, I just have expensive apartment and it would be lovely to cut it to half“ Louis wasn’t smiling. He was looking at Harrys bright expression and feeling his heart hurting more by every second.

„I’ll think about it then“ Harry said and grabbed Louiss forearm expecting him to lead Harry to cafeteria.

***

„Hey Perrie“ Louis greeted woman curled under her desk after his first class.

„Hey Louis“ she stood up with eraser in her hand and triumphant smile on her lips. „ Found iiit..“ she said in high-pitched voice and dusted her white jeans.

„You all right?“ Louis laughed

„Yeah pretty much, hey, just yesterday I was asked by my friends to grab someone from work to karaoke this weekend. Wanna come?“

Louis hesitated. He didn’t like being with group of strangers somewhere, where he was fixated on said people. But Perrie was sweet girl, smart on top of that and he believed she wouldn’t make fun of him.

„Oh.. thanks for inviting me.. err I’ll let you know. Gimme your number“

„Smooth moves Tomlinson“ Perrie laughed and grabbed his phone, typing her number in it, naming herself with bunch of hearts and kissing emojis. How adult like.

„So, what about Harry. He is great in bed, right?“ She smiled like she was speaking about peeling potatoes.

„Wh-what?!“

„Oh don’t give me that innocent impression Louis. I saw you two. Proper couple-ish. Hes got nice big hands, that’s how I know he is good. So?“ she raised her eyebrows.

„We... we are not like that Perrie. That’s inappropriate.“ Louis coughed.

„What is?“ She laughed.“You are nearly same age Louis and you are not teacher yet. And when you will be, he will be done with his studies.“

„Four years isn’t same age Perrie...“

„Really? That’s all you have in defense? So, have you kissed him yet? I bet he wasn’t kissed before, poor thing. I would cuddle him up in my duvet for the rest of his life If I could. Cooking him and warming him cup of hot chocolate every 5 minutes and..“

„Alright alright. I offered him to move in. Like in my flat“ Louis raised his voice and placed his fingers in his eyelashes.

„Oh...“

There was silnce for at least 10 seconds.

„Ooooh..“

He could feel Perries smile engraving in his skin.

„Alright, alright I like sound of that! Gosh I can’t wait!“ she gushed

„For what?“

„For you two start dating!“ she clapped her hands exitedly.

„Love?“ said thick accent from class doors. Louis turned around. In the door frame was standing man in black leather jacket, few tattoos peaking out of collar of his white shirt, black hair messily placed on top of his head and confused expression right below it.

„Oh! Zaynie! Hi darling“ She jogged to grab his chin, kissing him.

„This is Louis, the one I told you about“ she said still near to his lips.

„Oh“ he said with new found smile. „Hey Louis, M‘ Zayn, you ok?“

„Yeah, nice to meet you“ Louis accepted Zayns hand.

„Right, this is my fiancé“ Perrie introduced Zayn.

„Oh, didn’t know you were engaged, congratulations“ Louis smiled fondly.

„Thanks mate“ Zayn nodded.“ So, ready to leave?“

Perried grabbed rest of her things, kissed Louis on cheek goodbye and left with her rather young looking fiancé. Louis stood in empty class, looking around. Well, this was weird.

\---

Louis was thinking about what Perried said all day. Were they that obvious? Did anybody else notice? Louis fancying Harry? Kissing Harry? Harry...

„Oh, didn’t know she was engaged“ Harry munched on his sandwich that Louis made him.

„Yeah me neither“

They ate their lunches in silence. Louis threw their leftovers to bin and guided Harry to his next class.

„Hey, Harry...“

„Hmm?“ he stood with slightly dropped head, listening. He didn’t have glasses on today, but his eyes were covered with eyelids. Messy hair instead of his usual even-messier quiff and he looked so young in plain white t-shirt. And Louis realized he could watch him for whole day and week, just like that.

„Lou?“ Harry said.

Louis just caught himself leaning towards Harry. He actually wanted to kiss him. His cheek, forehead or corner of his lips. He was so fond of this boy and he want him to be loved and happy. He wanted Harry to be loved by himself too, he wanted him to know that he is perfect and that even though he couldn’t see, he is still most beautiful thing persons eyes could land on.

„Sorry.. have a nice day“ Louis squeezed Harrys hand and Harry smiled.

„Thanks, you too!“ he reached with his other hand towards Louis and left it hanged in the air. Louis instinctively landed his cheek in Harrys palm. It was sweet gesture. Harry just felt Louiss skin, gently stroking soft skin under his eyes which closed at the movement. „See you later“ Harry said and just like that he entered class by himself.

 

Louis stood there for another 6 minutes to make sure that Harry was well seated and had everything ready for his class. He noticed small smile on Harrys lips. Louis liked to think he was cause of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am taking too long to add new chapters, but every time I write one I don't feel like it's good enough so I delete it right away. Hopefully you enjoyed this one. :-) Looove!


	5. Stray cat

After few next days when Louis always walked Harry home, called him in the mornings to make sure when he is ready to leave for school, told every Harry's teacher to walk him to next class in case he wasn't there. Basically after he tried to make marshmallow world around Harry, weekend was ahead of them.

 

It was already Friday and Louis still hasn't called Perrie to let her know that he isn't going to karaoke with her. He stared at the ceiling once again, mobile burning in his hand, sun trailing golden morning light on his chest and belly.

 

Finally he dialed the number and waited.

 

"Hello?"

 

"Hi... it's Louis"

 

"I can tell by the voice by now, you know? And nobody else calls me, so.." Harry chuckled.

 

"Yeah.." Louis caughed " I was just, you know... um. You ready?"

 

"It's... 7 am Lou. I am in the bathroom..." there was noise of plastic cup falling into the sink.

 

Louis chuckled. "Yes, right.."

 

"You're up early, is everything alright?"

 

"Yes, absolutely I just... god" Louis sat up, burying fingers in his hair "in the beginning of this week Perrie invited me to this kind of karaoke party and I was ... I was hoping... I wanted to ask you, If you want to go with me. If you are free. Today." he squeezed his eyes shut and waited for Harry's reply.

 

"Oh... I have all weekend free, so... If you want me to and I won't be a burden, then why not?" and Louis could sense that Harry is smiling and that he is agreeing with such an uncertainty that only shy person can produce so well.

 

"Yeah? Okay then so...I am staying at Perrie’s as I don’t want to go back by train, I'll tell Perrie and... yeah, um. Talk to you later then."

 

"Yeah, bye Lou!"

 

\---

 

Louis was determined to tell Perrie they won't come after all just to scratch that knowing smile off of her face.

 

They were near the karaoke club. Zayn by Perrie's side with cigarette between his lips, handsome as ever and Perrie even more beautiful than any other girl around them. They fitted together perfectly. Perrie had purple-ish lipstick and her hair was pulled up into ponytail. Zayn wore red scarf around his neck along with his leather jacket which he apparently never puts down.

 

Louis could see that girls were high over heels over him, but he never saw Zayn to look at any other girl than Perrie. That was probably favourite thing that Louis liked about his personality so far.

 

"When did he say he'll come?"Perrie catched her lip between her teeth.

 

"Around nine, he told me that his friend is escorting ....him" his last words faded into noises of city. He is looking at Harry, going hand in hand with older lady. Snail pace.

 

Louis doesn’t know If he should laugh or write a book about how perfect person Harry is. Right over there he could see this newborn bird not trying to be cool with his star-print scarf holding up his slightly greasy curls. Not trying like everybody else in Harry’s age does. Pure, innocent and Louis could feel his heart jump in his chest in realization that he found this treasure in mud.

 

„Hello ma’am“ Louis could hear Perrie all of sudden. He realized that Lady nearly passed them, along with Harry, as she possibly couldn’t know who they were.

 

„Oh hello dear. Harry is these people your friends?“ lady kindly patted Harry’s hand.

 

„Yes we are ma’am, I am his teacher actually“ Perrie smiled softly.

 

„Louis?“ Harry said quietly as Perrie talked to Harry’s escort.

 

„Yeah I am here“ Louis was by his his side in a second.

 

Harry smiled and then he squeezed the lady's arm. „E-everyone this is Lucy, my landlady“

 

„And friend of course!“ Lucy said and she shook everybodys hands warmly.

 

„Nice to meet you, I am Louis, this is Perrie and her fiancé Zayn“ Louis introduced Zayn to Harry as well. They invited Lucy to go with them, but she started laughing saying that she has to feed Harry’s cat Lily and that she is too wild for this kind of club. Louis loved her right on the spot.

 

As Perrie took Harry’s hand and tugged him into the club, Louis insisted to walk Lucy at least to train station.

 

„So.. You live with Harry?“ Louis started small talk.

 

„Well no. I offered him, that he can stay with me, but he declined. You know, I think he just needs to prove to himself that he can take care just fine by his own.“

 

Louis raised eyebrow at that. He understood that much, nobody else would understand it more than Louis, but this was Harry. This loveable person does not need to prove to himself that he can do everything just fine. There should be people around him, who would love him as much as he deserves.

 

„I can hear your thoughts Louis Tomlinson. Harry talks about you quite a lot“ she added as Louis probably had confused face on to how she knew his surname.

 

„Truthfully, his flat is a mess. I am secretly tidying up there.“ She laughed fondly. Then she looked up at Louis, when he still didn’t say a thing.

 

„Louis. I think you are doing a good thing. Harry told me about your offer for him to move in with you. Just keep on mind that you can’t protect him from everything bad in this world, he is a person. He deserves to live and it costs to experience good things along with bad ones. He did experience bad ones already...“

 

„Yeah...“ Louis sighed as he helped Lucy to get on the train. He knew there must have happened something bad in Harry’s live, he would not be that stubborn if not.

 

She gave him a long look. „Take care of him please, it doesn’t matter If he is blind or doesn’t have a leg, he is a human being. Every human being needs to love and be loved, but he doesn’t know it yet. He doesn’t know that the thing he is missing is not sight...“ she smiled at Louis as she held his hand in her warm ones despite the cold weather.

 

„It was lovely to meet you, Louis dear. Have fun and send him home whole in the morning“ Lucy not so smoothly winked and Louis laughed. He truly loved this woman already too much for his liking, mainly because he was glad that Harry has someone like that in his live.

 

He was thinking about everything Lucy told him as he jogged back to the club. Back to Harry’s side. Suddenly, he wanted to see his face so much, right now. When exactly did his life turn upside down. Was it that day when he left his home in Doncaster? He dreamt of it his whole life after all. But he didn’t expect to find something more on his way to Bristol from London, of all places, than freedom.

 

Louis suddenly stopped. What Lucy meant by -In the morning-, does that mean that Harry stays the night? He didn’t think it through. Of course Harry has to stay as well, he can’t go back by himself. Oh god...

 

He reached bar, ordered himself two shots which he downed right away and then mentally slapped himself. He has to be here for Harry, WITH Harry. He can’t possibly get drunk, but suddenly everything was so overhelming. He can’t remember how he normally acts around new people, he can’t remember how to becharming, how to listen to others. In that moment he knew, that he went to city for this.

 

 

For love.

 

 

He saw Harry sitting next to Zayn. Apparently they’ve played spin the bottle and really? How old Perrie’s friends were? He silently sat next to her, across from Harry and nodded at Zayn.

 

There were all the different kind of people, he could hear the loud ones by the table, two girls wearing red lipstick similar to Perrie’s, one silent guy, who smoked Zayn’s cigarettes, talking to no one and there was couple. These two seemed most normal of them all, so Louis decided to give them one chance. He learned that their names were Jack and Stella. He didn’t say anything whole time, so Harry probably didn’t even know that Louis came back. He sticks to Zayn’s side having a small smile on as he listens to everybody else.

 

They’ve always played one round, then had a drink, talked for a while and then spinning the bottle once again. This time it landed on Perrie and apparently it was truth or dare game. Louis watched Harry hiding himself behind Zayn, holding his upper arm and really, it should be him who protects him from kissing stranger in this stupid game.

 

**_He probably wasn’t kissed yet, poor thing._ **

 

When the thought about standing up and sit next to Harry crossed his mind, Lucy’s voice came up with –He has to live his life too- line. He clenched his fists when suddenly there was gentle hand on his back and soothing Perrie’s eyes staring to his.

 

„That’s okay, he is okay. He has fun..“ she whispered and ran her hand up and down his back. Louis felt every single trail of stress go away with every single gentle stroke she gave him. He nodded and then froze when bottle landed on Harry not so good hidden behind Zayn.

 

„Oh it’s me“ Zayn made face and moved himself a little bit, so bottle did point at him and not Harry. And really, Louis decided that Perrie choosed the right one.

 

„Oh it’s not, it’s on that little guy over there! Harry right?“ the noisy girl slurred and snickered with that other annoying girl next to her.

 

Louis watched as Harry determinedly nodded and sat up more straightly.

 

„So Harry, truth or dare?“ she asked.

 

„Uh.. um dare?“

 

„Ooooh! Very well then! I like you! I dare you to lick Cythia’s tongue! Thorougly!“ she declared and Louis actually watched Harry blush. No.

 

„Noo...“ Cythia laughed and nudged other girl to kiss him instead.

 

Louis watched as Harrys blush vanished with their mocking words and his lips tiny little bit fell. Nobody noticed though. He was blind, they knew that, but did anyone know that he is not deaf? That he has feelings... and suddenly he watched Harry smiling, excusing himself to go on toilet and those didn’t stop pushing themselves and laughing till Perrie stood with poisoning glare at them in order to go with Harry, but Louis was already on his legs nodding at her.

 

„When you come back, we are going somewhere else, I’m really sorry Louis... I didn’t mean..“ Perrie started apologizing while Louis watched as Harry tried to get Zayn’s attention so he could ask him to go to toilet with Harry.

 

„Harry...“ Louis said softly and reached to Harry’s searching hand.

 

„Lou...“ Harry snapped his head and Louis could see that his lower lip is starting quivering a little bit and that’s when he gently tugged Harry with him so they could leave and breathe a fresh air outside in order to calm Harry a little bit.

 

On their way out he could hear Harry whispering lines like „I am sorry, I was burden after all...“

 

Louis could see his sight blurring. He couldn’t stand hearing these words from Harry’s mouth. He sat him down on bench and was amazed by Harry's dry eyes, he wasn’t crying.

 

„You were not a burden at all Harry, they were still just stupid children, you wouldn’t want to kiss them anyway.“

 

„But you left as well.. and I ruined your night..“

 

„No, no, no listen... I wouldn’t go without you okay? I wanted you to have fun, so I am really sorry on the first place.“

 

Harry bowed his head and mumbled something which Louis couldn’t properly hear.

 

„Sorry, what was that?“

 

„I wish I could see... maybe I could get a kiss then. She didn’t want to kiss me right? Maybe If I had my sight...“

 

**_He thinks that the sight is the thing he is missing..._ **

 

„Harry... she..“

 

„It doesn’t matter who it was Lou... she thought I am some freak..“

 

„Hey... Harry, listen“ he framed Harry’s face with his hands. „Don’t say this ever again, understand?!“ he heard himself saying firmly even though his inner side was like a jelly. „You are unique person. I don’t want you to think that anybody can kiss you. They can’t. Because they do not deserve your kiss, alright?“

 

„But you surely got kissed before and I just want to know...“ there was tear sliding along Louis’s hand. He removed Harry’s glasses and silently dried his cheeks and running nose with his sleeve. He slowly coaxed him into his arms, holding him up firmly to keep him whole. To make it stop hurting so much.

 

„Shh..listen... someday you‘ll meet this person, who’ll love you so much, so much Harry, that everything else won’t be important anymore. Then you’ll realize that it was worth waiting. I promise, I promise.... please don’t cry..“

 

And it stung to imagine that there will be someone else to hold Harry. To hold him like Harry wishes to be held. But that was just Louis’s selfish self.

 

**--*

 

„That was pretty brave what you did there..“ Perrie whispered, holding her wine glass. Louis laid Harry on sofa in her living room and watched him for few moment curling to himself silently before he joined Perrie on the floor, grabbing his own glass and gulp good amount of wine. Harry fell asleep on way to the flat, tired from apologizing and crying and some more apologizing.

 

„What‘ ya mean?“

 

„Well, Harry depends on you a lot.. right?“ Louis nodded slowly, thinking If that was truth. „Well in his state he can just cling to you and be happy because he wouldn’t experience anything else. Today you gave him choice Louis. There is... this whole world out there. But..“

 

Louis drank a bit more... every word Perrie said hitting him like a bad news all over again. „But?“

 

„Are YOU strong enough to hold him through it all? You love him after all..“ she stood up, ignoring Louis’s attempts to protest.

 

„Be honest Louis, If you are not with yourself, how can you be honest with him? He deserves the best... right“ she smiled knowingly.

 

„Good night Lou“ She kissed top of his head and went to bedroom, where Zayn went right after they arrived.

 

Louis glanced once more at Harry, running with top of his fingers along Harry’s jawline, across his nose and run them through his eyelashes. They fluttered a little bit and Louis thought that Harry is awake, but he was still breathing contently, not moving.

 

„Love.. huh..“ he fell asleep somewhere between staring at Harry and trying to lay down next to him. Last thing he could feel was warm body pressed up against his stomach, just like when a cat trusts you enough that she falls asleep in your lap.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry if there are any typos, I am still not sure about my English. :-) Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well!!


	6. Two halves on polaroid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for pushing me into writing again! :-) Hopefully you'll like this chapter!

He felt hands roaming all over his body. It wasn’t in sexual kind of way, it was in a nice soothing way. It felt like when Perrie soothed him in the bar. Someone slided their hand along Louis‘s side, from shoulder to his hip, in one smooth move. Then he felt the same hand sliding across his neck back to his nape and into his hair. He nearly purred in pleasure before he fully woke up. First thing he saw was dark. It couldn’t be morning yet, which meant it wasn’t Perrie‘s hand trying to wake him up in the nicest way possible. Next thing he recognised was smell of Harry’s coconut shampoo. Oh... it was Harry.

He subtly inhaled his scent once more before he spoke up. „Harry?“

Harry quickly retreated his hand and Louis felt Harry’s body trying to move away from his.

„Sorry.. I was just.. sorry.“ He heard Harry say. Thanks to Perrie’s narrow sofa Harry was pressed under Louis chin, breathing on his neck and Louis fucking hate this sofa. „I just need to use a bathroom and I honestly don’t know where I am and... I really didn’t want to startle you, sorry...“

„Hey, that’s alright... c’mon“ he sat up, glad for exuse to move away. He could feel this weird feeling in his veins, in his stomach and he really didn’t want to sport a boner right now. –calm down Louis.

Louis guided Harry to bathroom and waited outside after showing him where toilet and sink is. He leaned against the wall and checked time on his mobile, it was half past two. He ran fingers through his lashes to ease some tension from his eyes. He was tired as hell and his whole body ached. They won’t get any sleep If they both sleep on the sofa.

„Done.“ Harry came out, wiping wet hands into his jeans. He automaticaly reached for Louis, both of his hands in front of him and Louis studied his face. How his eyebrows slightly furrowed when Louis wasn’t responding right away, how he sucked his bottom lip between his teeth as he tried to catch any kind of sound that would lead him closer to Louis. And how all these worried expressions cleared when Louis took both of his hands. How Harry bashfully turned his head and how he softly squeezed Louis’s fingers in his large soft palms.

Louis’s heart was beating so fast and he was so happy, worried and surprised by his feelings, similiar to those child has when it realizes that their puppy will listen to them and love them and they have life in their hands. That they are not alone. And it was enough. It was more than enough for Louis. He couldn’t label these precious feelings with Love. Nobody could ever feel what he now feels for Harry, it’s just theirs.

He ran fingers through Harry’s curls few times, his other hand circling around Harry’s waist and he could feel Harry being slightly dazed, maybe disoriented. He shuffled his feet towards Louis until they could feel their bodies pressed against each other. Louis liked the way Harry towered over him and he still felt like he is the intimidating one.

„Louis? ...“ Harry said, but it wasn’t question. He didn’t want to ask anything. He just wanted to know that it’s alright to be here. That they are alright. Louis stared at his face, at his long eyelashes, his nose and lips. He untagled his fingers from Harry’s hair and slided across soft cheek as he run thumb over Harry’s bottom lip.

„Harry, open your eyes“ Louis said. His breath hitting Harry’s lips. Louis could see that Harry didn’t know what to do, his head tilting slightly into Louis‘s touch, eyelashes fluttering but eyes still closed.

„Lou.. I..“Harry was out of breath. His palms holding onto Louis‘s shirt, wrinkling it.

„Trust me...“ he softly squeezed Harry’s lip. Harry’s eybrows furrowed once again before his eyes opened slowly. He moved his hands up, holding onto Louis’s neck, thumbs brushing underneath Louis’s chin. Louis could feel that Harry was afraid. Afraid that once he opens his eyes, that Louis will run.  
Harry had beautiful eyes, they quite didn’t know where to look or how to shine, but they were there. Slightly hazed green underneath heavy eyelids. „ You are... _so_ beautiful...“ he breathed. Next thing he felt was his thumb in between their lips. Harry’s eyes closed and his hands went through Louis’s hair again. Louis slipped his thumb away and caressed Harrys’s cheek sweetly.

It was sweetest and most innocent kiss he ever felt, heard of or saw. They were standing in the middle of corridor, presing their lips together. „Lou...“

„Mmm?“ he pecked his lips again and again.

„I.. I don’t need you to promise me anything alright? Just..“ slowly draging his lips against Louis’s.

Louis smiled. It wasn’t one of those smiles you give after hearing I love you or when you think your boyfriend is cute. It was one of those, when you know that you are screwed. There is no way out of it now and Louis was so fucking scared on top of it all.  
If Harry was real he knew he would cry. But Harry wasn’t real, he couldn’t be. He never believed that people like Harry ever existed not even believing he could meet someone like that.

His lips and hands were shaking. After few more pecks resting his forehead against Harry’s. They were both holding each others faces in their hands breathing deeply. Louis was trying to think straight and he knew that Harry is waiting for him to answer. He couldn’t promise Harry what he deserved and that’s when reality hit him all over again.

„Hey..“ he heard. „Lou... don’t cry, please.“ He felt how is Harry trying to sweep over his damp cheeks. „I am here...“

When they lay down, they both felt whole.

\--***-

„Aww look at them..“ Perrie whispered to half sleeping Zayn when they were passing living room to buy some breakfast.

Harry was spooning Louis, their hands and fingers intertwined, both breathing contently.

Zayn shook his head, kissing Perrie on a cheek while she took picture of them with her new polaroid.


	7. Birds and croissants

Louis woke up really uncomfortable. He was too hot, everything was sticking to his skin, not in a good way. He couldn’t breathe properly. And--

“Fuck” he whispered. Every detail of Harry’s sweaty body came back to his mind. How he moaned, when Louis grabbed roughly both of his sides. How he gaped for more air when Louis bit his hip bone, how he didn’t know where to put his hands and how his back arched when he thought he’ll come, but didn’t... again, cause Louis couldn’t go that far. That sight of Harry breaking apart from these simple touches was too precious.

Something fluttered in his hands. That’s when he realized that all of that was dream and the friction in his crotch wasn’t Harry’s naked thigh, but his scratchy jeans. Harry squeezed their hands together and stirred in his sleep, trying to nuzzle closer to Louis as they were sleeping without blanket and room was pretty chilly. Louis was over boiling though and Harry nestling in his neck wasn’t helping. Harry tightened his arms around Louis and sighed as he was falling back into deep sleep.

If Louis had free hand he would slap his face and maybe Harry’s bum as well.

That is not helping, you twat.

He tried to subtly adjust his legs so all of his length wouldn’t be pressed against his jeans. Terrible decision... “Louis?” Harry rasped and ok. Louis is fucked. He’ll come on sofa, which happens to belong to teacher of his potential boyfriend. When they ask him how that happened he’ll just say that Harry’s morning voice is too arousing. And he’ll be fine, they’ll understand.

“Yeah?” Louis tried to remove his thoughts out of his head.

“’R you awake?” Louis could hear Harry smiling. Or maybe he felt it as Harry’s mouth was glued to Louis’s nape. Unintentionally, of course.

“Yeah, you alright?” Louis said and took the chance to sit up. Harry was awake, that means Louis can move, that means he can have a cold shower. Or shameless morning wank in his friend’s bathroom.

“Oh um... yeah” Harry’s voice dropped and when Louis saw that his smile dropped as well, his heart broke a little bit. He kissed Harry yesterday. How did that happen?

Harry’s hands clasped together as they missed Louis’s ones. His face nuzzled pillow as it missed Louis’s warmth, his frown more prominent each second.

Louis realised that Harry can’t see fond look he is giving him, nor the lust he didn’t have in his eyes for a long time, till now. He is sure as hell that his voice would betray him If he speaks more than 3 words so he leaned a little bit closer to Harry, his hand going through those curls he adores, still little bit greasy and disheveled. He tilted Harry’s head and kissed him longingly on neck under his ear.

He felt like he came back home. Harry smelled like home and everything nice. He smelled exactly like warmth and love. He smelled like Harry and Louis found himself breathing deeply, pleased.

When he moved a little bit to find out If Harry’s smile fell back on his face, he found Harry blushing and chewing on his bottom lip. Oh...

He leaned back down and after short peck on same place under Harry’s ear he opened his mouth slightly, daringly licking a little bit of Harry’s skin and.. there it was. Harry squirmed slightly and Louis could feel that he inhaled sharply and now was holding his breath. He blew carefully on the wet spot.

“Louis, I .. I feel weird, like..” Harry hid his face back into pillow.

Smug would be weak statement for Louis’s look in his face as he was looking down at squirming, adorable little bird.

“That’s alright” Louis smoothed down Harry's black sweater on his back, trying to soothe him.

“Oii, we are home! You are not shagging on our couch are you?!” Louis heard Perry close the door. With a snicker he stood up and tried to hide his obvious erection. Zayn walked through to kitchen with Good Breakfast bag and delicious smell went through whole room.

“What’s up” Zayn nodded at him, Louis just smiled and flew right after him to possibly steal some food. “So?” Zayn asked.

“What?..” Louis dived into one of the bags already, trying to find his scrambled eggs and croissant that he didn’t order, nor paid, but looked for it anyway.

“Is he alright?” Zayn asked, not minding Louis in the bag as he started unpacking the other one.

“Yeah, I mean... there was a lot of crying yesterday, sorry about that” Louis suddenly said, realizing that not only Harry’s evening was ruined, but Perrie’s and Zayn’s too.

“Hey that’s alright yeah?” Zayn patted Louis’s shoulder. “As long as you both are alright mate”

“Awww” Louis cooed. “But seriously now... where is my croissant?”

Perrie entered kitchen looking at Louis with a smirk straight away, Harry close behind her, holding her hand. She went to Zayn “There is a little man problem” she whispered. Oh fuck, he had deep man conversation with Zayn with a boner? Did Zayn see too? But then Perrie not so subtly pointed to Harry’s crotch and oh...

Harry is blessed If that is anything to go by.

“Okay! Who want’s first shower?” Perrie asked loudly all of a sudden. Zayn already opening his mouth “Harry! Great! Zayn? Show him our bathroom..”

“I can show..” Louis interrupted.

“No Louis, I want my shower cum free, thank you very much” Perrie announced pushing blushing Harry with Zayn out of the room.  
Louis pouted, but enjoyed Harry’s messed look anyway.

“Coffee?” Perrie clapped her hands happily.


	8. Coal around feather

“Well done Harry” Lucy said as she watched Harry getting through the door of his apartment by himself. “Thank you Louis” she smiled. “ At least I got to clean his flat” she winked at him and somehow Louis didn’t find it as cheekily amusing as he probably should in different circumstances.

“Lou?” Harry called while feeling his way into weird looking apartment alongside orange walls. “Want to come in?”

Lucy smiled encouragingly and with small push into his back she disappeared behind her own beige door.

“Uh yeah, If you don’t mind.” He stepped in and ginger cat was by his legs immediately. “Hi sweetie”

“Don’t cat call her, her name is Lily” Harry smirked at his own joke.

“She is soo beautiful, right?.. Right?” he petted her and scratched her tummy when she lied down on the floor.

“I bet she is.” Harry says, but is still smiling. Louis wants to slap himself.

“So.. this is the kitchen” Harry points at his fridge. Everything looks clean, when you look at it, but all together it looks like house with 4 kids. Paper cranes everywhere, tea cups mismatched, plates drying by the sink, cupboards with doodles on them, one of them missing inner glass part.

Louis realized that Harry is waiting expectantly.

“Very nice! Cosy.” He decides.

Harry beams and Louis makes mental note to pat his own shoulder later. Harry touches his hand and slides up until it’s on Louis’s shoulder.” Here.. is living room slash bedroom aand that’s my whole flat really” Harry chuckles.

Louis blinks. Twice. Next to his crappy kitchen he can see small room, with black table in the middle, small sofa by the wall with one cushion on it a blanket folded beneath it. Harry sleeps there? There are some pictures of families that surely aren’t Harry’s, but why he would remove them right.. some little more boring touch ups, surely made by Lucy to make Harry’s living room more cosy. Like candles that surely weren’t ever lit up, If that dust is anything to go by and little girly floral cloth on his table.

“Uh.. eermm, I like that cushion” just because it’s only thing that looks new in this flat.

Harry nods, not expecting anything more.

“Harry.. where is your family?” Louis asks while looking at those creepy pictures, he will definitely have nightmare about these.

“Um.. I told you already.. mom lives in Cheshire with her new partner, possibly with my sister too and.. yeah.” Harry sits down on chair by the window in the kitchen.

Louis looks at him, searching for any kind of discomfort. ”And dad?”

Harry just shrugs, facing away from Louis. Louis comes closer and gently rubs Harrys shoulder while standing behind him.

“Did he left you?”

Harry still wasn’t responding, but Louis felt like he shouldn’t ask any more questions. He rubbed Harry’s tense shoulders and proceeded to soft massage in order to soothe him. He didn’t want to see his face right now, If he was crying, it would be Louis’s fault and he just couldn’t stand even idea of it.

“He.. he said that I should stand on my own legs. That I-I am not fucking army veteran to have everyone jump around me.” Louis flinched at Harry swearing as he didn’t ever swear.

“My sister.. Gemma, she.. she was teenager you know, she was 18 then and I am not mad at her, I love my sister.” Harry tried to breathe through his hiccups.

“She got really angry one night, when she was meant to go out with her boyfriend. He.. he studied abroad so he was there just for one week, but then.. mom said that she has to look after me as she had to go to work and no one else was at home that time. Gemma went crazy... I hate when she is sad.. I.. didn’t mean to..” Louis scooped him up in his arms. “I love her so much.. I didn’t want...”

“Shhh shh” they ended up on the floor, Louis gently rocking them, caressing Harry’s hair like he would caress small injured bird. Louis didn’t understand much of what Harry said, but he is glad that Harry told him. He tried to remember every detail so he could go through it when he is by himself.

“That’s alright sweet” Louis squeezed him some more as Harry tried to disappear in Louis’s embrace. He was looking out of the window when he rocked them back and forth.

“Nobody gave me hug like this in a long time” Harry laughed lightly after few minutes.

“You mean ever. I give best hugs, actually second best, Niall gives best ones”

“Niall?”

“Yeah I’ll introduce you. He is my friend, working in cafe I go for coffee every morning.”

“Oh” Harry nodded under Louis’s chin. ”Ok, I would love to meet your friends.” He sniffled.

Louis smiled as he looked down at Harry’s face. His cheeks were red and snot was all the way to his chin. He simple pulled tissue out of his coat and start to clean him up. Harry didn’t mind, he just held his head still and blew his nose, when Louis told him to. After his face was dry again, Louis kissed him on forehead, smiling into it. Something about taking care of Harry was so intimate and sweet, that he wanted to do that whole day.

Harry smiled too when he felt Louis’s lips on his forehead. When they were gone he tilted his head back and waited If Louis gets the message. Louis didn’t, he felt nothing against his lips.

Louis was looking around the flat and knew that this is not place where Harry will sleep tonight.

“Lou” Harry whispered.

He looked down at Harry and nearly laughed at concentrated look on Harry’s face, while he was not so subtly pursing his lips. He chose  to play.

“Yes?”

“Um... can I... you. Can you..?” Harry whimpered at his tries to ask Louis for kiss. He squeezed his eyes and scrunched his nose adorably. “Can I get a kiss?” he asked finally, half of his face hidden in Louis coat already out of embarrassment.

Louis smiled, little taken a back as he didn’t expect Harry to actually ask. “Yes” he captured Harry’s face with his right hand to get him back on Louis’s face level and lightly brushed their lips together before retreating back. His heart pumped when Harry whimpered, shortly chasing Louis’s retreating lips.

“Lou...” Louis felt Harry’s hands tangle in his shirt on his chest. “More...”

Louis smashed their lips together with silent groan as he didn’t want to scare Harry. It was still dry kind of kiss and it wasn’t enough. Louis opened his mouth slightly and enveloped Harry’s bottom lip in them. Harry’s lips were coaxed apart, but he still didn’t seem to respond.

_He probably wasn’t kissed before, poor thing..._

“Harry...”Louis mumble between more kisses. “Try to do, what I do. It’s alright, it’s just me, ok?” he said, sucking on Harry’s lip little bit more harshly than he intended to.

Harry then pressed slightly back against Louis, trying to do what he felt. He was so nervous, but those feelings in his stomach were pushing him forward. He clung to Louis, trying to feel more of his warmth, trying to soothe himself, that it is actually his Louis.

Louis kissed him some more before he licked Harry’s red lip, he loved that it was like that because of him. But when Harry felt what Louis is doing he retreated back, hands still on Louis chest, his bottom lip not longer bitten by Louis, but by himself.

“Sorry” Louis inhaled and caressed Harry’s cheek who immediately nuzzled into his palm.

“No I am sorry... it’s just... I don’t know, how to ..” Harry stuttered.

“That’s alright Harry, you are brilliant learner”

Harry beamed and ok. Louis probably wasn’t happier than now, sitting with Harry nearly in his lip, who was blushing at Louis’s compliment.

“Ok.. let’s go” Louis ruffled Harry’s hair.

“Huh? Where?”

“Your new home”


	9. Saturday

„These are his towels. Here spare pair of glasses. Oh, mug! Let me get his favourite mug!“ Lucy was pacing from place to place to put all of Harry’s important stuff into the box. As his flat was just rented along with the furniture, Harry didn’t really have that much things to pack. Lily has to live with Lucy from now on as there are not allowed pets in Perrie’s apartment.

When Louis called Perrie earlier that day she gushed about how they are so cute and that they will be so happy. She came over with a car to help them move despite Louis’s protests. Harry had only one box full of his belongings minus the set of candles Lucy insisted to pack too, so... there was no need for a car, but when Perrie saw Louis’s apartment and the room full of boxes she strategically asked Harry If he wants to live with her in London, close to the school. Harry didn’t like travelling every day, so all it took was for Harry to ask Louis and that was it. Louis said yes.

Harry cried when he was hugging Lucy. He cried so bad that Louis thought he is going to stay.  
“Visit me from time to time” Lucy mumbled, patting Harry’s hair.  
“Uh-huh!” Harry tried to breath as his body shook with cries.  
“Don’t forget to brush your teeth and eat properly! Don’t drink, you know what it does to your tummy. Ask Louis to wash your hair, so there is no soap left, be careful around...” Louis listened to her soft murmurs and to Harry’s sniffles. He felt warm all over, because Harry had someone so sweet and caring around him and then he felt nervous all of a sudden as he realized that he is taking it away from Harry. So much responsibility. For some funny reason he feels like he is adopting dog and silently promising it’s mom that he’ll take great care of it.

“I love you so much my dear, so so much! Don’t ever forget, alright?” she still frantically combed his hair with her fingers, smoothing it down only for curls to pop back to it’s original shape.  
“I love you-uh, so so much, thank you” he heard Harry’s muffled cries.  
Later on their way to London, Harry was awfully quiet. Louis was sitting with him on the back seat, holding his hand, trying to make him feel better.  
“Are you alright?” Louis whispered.  
Harry tilted his head to Louis’s direction and smiled with holes in his cheeks. “More than alright”  
Louis exhaled, not realizing he was holding his breath, squeezing Harry’s hand.   
“I’ll try to find us apartment where we can have Lily with us and with spare bedroom, so Lucy can come for a visit as much as she wants” Louis promised. He promised loads of small things to Harry and he meant them all. He promised loads of things to himself too. There is not “Mind your own business” in his mind anymore for some time now. He doesn’t know If there is even a space in his mind for something else than for this broken little one next to him.   
Harry squeezed his hand back and the little frown he was wearing was gone. Louis hoped that Harry felt like he can rely on him. That he knew he can trust him with his whole heart.  
\--------  
“Perrie, tell me you asked Zayn first”  
Three of them were standing in doors with Zayn staring at them with fork of pasta halfway to his mouth. No one was moving.  
“Weeell..” Perrie flashed everyone dazzling smile.  
\-------  
“Honey, I don’t mind them staying here, but you could’ve ask me first”  
Louis and Harry heard from the kitchen while they sat in the living room awkwardly. Harry’s hands were twitching in his lap, obviously confused and uncomfortable. Louis understood. He was in unknown place, with people he barely knows and Louis was just thinking what they’ve just done. He practically adopted blind boy, he moved to his teachers house and now they are listening to the “making out fight” they caused. Oh well...

“Who is hungry?” Perrie yelled from the kitchen cheerfully.  
“Everyone!” Louis shouted back and grabbed Harry’s hand. “Come, I’ll tell you all about this flat love”  
Harry blushed while nodding, his head ending up hanging low.  
“Hey... everything alright?” Louis stopped.  
“Yeah... I just... just need some time I guess. Need to know, where my bed is and bathroom.” Harry mumbled with a small smile.  
“Alright, I am here with you. Remember? I will be by your side all day. You’ll want to get rid of me” Louis poked his side, hoping for a bigger smile, which happened.  
Harry nodded more happily now and followed Louis to the door next to the bathroom. When he opened them he froze. The room was small, but that wasn’t the case. There were no more doors. Just their room, bathroom, Perrie’s and Zayn’s bedroom and an entrance to the living room, which was right next to the kitchen. He heard himself swallow.  
“Perriee!”  
“Okay, okay... let’s calm down.” Perrie settled down on the sofa next to Harry after putting a pot of coffee for everyone on the table. Probably so Louis won’t be able to reach her.  
“Babe... you can’t keep lying like this” Zayn said softly.  
“I am not lying to anyone! Ever!” she furrowed her eyebrows, offended.  
“You just choose to not tell the whole truth. When you said, you have plenty rooms to spare, then by rooms you meant one room, with one bed?” Louis tried to stay calm. His flat was already put up for rent. He doesn’t want to go back to Harry’s flat ever again. Maybe they can go to the hotel for some time. They can eat starters from the menu and drink tap water.

“Double bed” Perrie pointed out. Zayn snorted.  
“That’s not the point!” Louis ran his fingers through his lashes in frustration. They usually have disgusting starters in hotels. He needs desserts too.  
“I don’t mind sleeping on the sofa.”  
Whole room turned to Harry. Then suddenly Louis’s heart broke at the sight. He didn’t ask Harry, he didn’t ask Harry about anything. It hit him hard, when Harry offered to sleep on the piece of furniture he knew the most. “No no sweet, I don’t mind to sleep in one bed with you, it’s just... I thought you’ll want your own bed and...” he turned for help to Perrie. She gave him disapproving look and petted Harry’s hair.  
“I don’t mind sharing either” Harry mumbled.  
“Alright, ok darling. We’ll share, no problem at all” Louis smiled and squeezed his side. Harry smiled at that and put his hand hesitantly on Louis’s thigh.  
Perrie grinned with hand in front of her mouth and looked from Zayn to Harry and Louis, cheering silently, her eyes twinkling. “Why aren’t you so lovely to me too?!”

“Because you lie” Louis said with a smirk.  
“But you are lovely even to Zayn, you know me better than him!” Perrie pursed her lips.  
“I have to buy him croissants for that.” Zayn shrugged and Louis nodded knowingly, sipping on his coffee.  
“What do you mean moved! You didn’t even pay for last month, how can you rent it to someone else!” Peter was angry, Louis could tell. It was evening now, Harry in the bathroom while Perrie with Zayn were watching some telly.

“I know, I know. Last rent is on the table inside. I got already 2 people who would like to see the flat, I’ll clean it up tomorrow yeah?”  
“Fuck, you could have at least tell me, I am your best mate” the fuck “where did you move to?”  
Louis hesitated. He doesn’t have to tell him. He can get rid of Peter for good, he doesn’t know at all that Louis has some business in London.  
“Dublin, for the time being” smooth.  
“Is that kid with you?”  
Louis squeezed his phone. “By kid you mean Harry? Yeah ”Peter started laughing. “I’ll move tomorrow, then you can put it up for a rent” he ended the call. He hanged his head, feeling headache creeping up from the sides. Peter’s mom is a landlady of the house, where he stayed. Truth is, that he owed her, not Peter. But Peter was capable of grabbing money and not tell his mom, meaning Louis sometimes had to pay his rent twice. What a fuc--  
“Louis?” his head snapped up. He walked towards the bathroom door.  
“Yeah Harry?”   
“I think... “ he heard plastic bottles hit the floor “I think that I can’t find the... the towel. I brushed my teeth and showered, but I.. I don’t think it’s here, I..”  
“Shh baby, calm down” Somehow he felt like Harry is constantly trying to prove that he can do everything by himself. Louis is so proud and so sad at the same time, feeling Harry anxious words seeping into his skin.   
“I’ll ask Perrie okay?”  
“Ok” he heard his movements still.

“Perrie? Where are the towels?” he shouts while walking down the corridor to the living room.  
“Oh, in the closet by the bathroom door. The black one in the corridor” she didn’t look at him, munching on popcorn absolutely concentrated on film, so was Zayn. Louis shook his head and paced back, grabbing two towels from to closet and knocked on the bathroom door.  
“Harry? I’ve got the towels, can you come to the door, I’ll hand them to you.”  
“Ok” Louis heard Perrie’s bunny slippers shuffling along the bathroom floor. Bless her. “Don’t look, okay?”  
“Don’t worry.” He said already turning his head around. He heard Harry grabbing the door handle, but not opening.  
“You don’t want to?” Harry said from the other side. Louis’s head snapped back.  
“Of course I want to! I want to see you naked! I mean.. at the right time, when YOU want to see me as well..I mean feel me. Not feel me like feel me, but you can’t ..obviously see me, so.. you can touch you know, like not there, but. What I am trying to say is that I want to look, but I won’t because... because I am gentleman and all that shit.” he fisted his hair in frustration absolutely catching himself in the web. He heard Harry giggling cautiously opening the door. Before Louis could turn his head back around, he was staring. He could see Harry’s smooth shoulder where were droplets of water from his wet hair. He slowly handed him the towel and caught a glimpse of Harry’s nipple, when he was closing the door with a small thank you. He could feel the rush of blood going south.  
Louis backed until his back hit the wall across the bathroom, slowly sliding down while looking at the closed door.

“I am a twenty-seven year old man who is getting excited when he sees naked kid.” Louis murmurs.

“He is twenty-three” Perrie chirps while typing on her phone, closing her bedroom door and going back to the living room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no excuse. I am a lazy human being, so sorry for such a late update!


	10. Black chocolate cookies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry´s day at Stacy´s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am too lazy to correct my grammar errors, sorry for that!!

When Harry is done and in their bedroom, Louis helps him find his bags with some pajamas and letting him change in their bedroom, while it was his turn in the bathroom. When he came back, Harry was sitting on the bed, fiddling with the hem of his red pjs.

“Hey you” Louis smiled fondly while towel drying his hair.

Harry´s mouth curved upwards, sitting up straighter on neatly made bed. “So, what are your plans for tomorrow?”

Louis dropped towel on the bed and changed into fresh pair of boxers. “Well, I have to sort out my things from my old flat. It´s Sunday tomorrow anyway, why don´t we..” he realized that Peter will be probably right there, looking after “his” flat. “actually.. no.” Louis decided.

Harry´s smile fell a little, but nodded. “Yeah okay, I have to study anyway and I´ll help Perrie with something..”

“Hmm..” Louis didn´t want Harry to be inside this flat whole day. “I have some boring stuff to do, but hey. Why don´t we go for a coffee tomorrow morning to Stacey´s. I´ll introduce you to Liam and Niall, they are both really nice and you can study there with endless supply of sweets until I pick you up later for lunch, how does that sound?” Louis strokes Harry´s cheek and with other hand squeezes Harry´s fingers in his small palm.

“Yeah I´d like that” Harry beams and brings Louis in for a hug after finding his arms and legs.

“Wonderful” Louis smiles fondly and kisses Harry´s temple, while nuzzling into him back. He likes to cuddle Harry a lot. He has always this urge to put his face all over him, like when people do when they see sleepy warm cat´s belly.

He pulls back and kisses Harry´s forehead lovingly. Harry has tired long smile across his face, so after buttoning few buttons on Harry´s top, Louis guides him to a pillow and hides him with a duvet from the world, snugly placing it all the way to his chin. Louis sits down next to him for a bit, smiling. Thinking of the time in the train, when he met him, when he gave him his blanket and that nothing changed since then, apart from that that now he can name a feeling he felt even then. Love. Caring, hurting, hopeless love.

Louis goes back to living room, thanking Perrie and Zayn for letting them stay for some time, telling them about his plans for tomorrow and wishing good night with a loud kiss on both cheeks.

He slips back next to Harry, smiling to himself, grazing his fingertips along Harry´s forehead placing away some curls. Finally happy. Content.

Louis then places his hand across Harry´s belly and closes his eyes.

 He wakes up just once that night, when Harry paws around him, probably confused when he doesn´t feel any couch armrest. Louis catches both of his hands, place kisses on them and then rolls him over so Harry is the small spoon this time. He places two more kisses on his shoulder and ear, just because he can “I am here, I am here” he murmurs and hears how Harry contently sighs and falls back to sleep.

*--*

In the morning Louis helps Harry with his hair, finally giving up, tying one of Zayn´s scarves around his head and swats Harry´s hands when he goes and tries to touch it. Harry pouts and grins when his pout is kissed. He grabs Harry´s bag with his books and guides Harry out the room, closing after himself.

“Okay we are leaving! See you later!” Louis shouts.

“See ya!” comes Zayn´s from bathroom, while he shaves his stubble. “By sweeties! Be careful! And Louis, ring me when you get back to London, so I know, that everything is okay yeah?” Perrie winks from the kitchen door, goes and kisses Harry on the forehead while putting car keys into Louis´s palm. Louis nods with a smile, remembering he told Perrie about Peter yesterday.

“Sure, thanks love! Bye!” he waves and squeezing Harry to his side while closing the door.

“It´s just around the corner from Perries flat” Louis smiles, looking at maps on his phone.

“You can make it there in 10 mins love, If you´ll like Niall and Liam you can visit them anytime, they are open whole week”

“Okay” Harry smiles, visibly happy.

“It´s a lovely day” Louis states, looking around trees kissed by orange morning sun.

“What do you see?” Harry whispers, tightening his hold on Louis´s arm. Louis looks a bit up at him, still not over the fact that Harry is taller than him.

“The house where we live is grey, it looks new, modern. Across the road is a small park, with few benches and old couples. One of them is having a fight, but none of them seem to be angry” Louis looks at Harry when he hears him giggle.

“I miss Lucy” he states, but not sadly.

“You can call her today, tell her that I feed you vegetables and wash your hair”

Harry giggles again and nods. “What else do you see?”

“ Rest of the street is a row of family houses, fancy ones I have say. I gotta look for some part-time, so I can give Perrie some extra money”

“Oh I can give you my card and my share from there” Harry chirps in.

“Okay” Louis knows better than to say no, remembering Lucy putting Harry´s rent back to his money place in the flat everytime.

Louis opens the door to Stacy´s. “Hellooo” he cheers. Liam turns around with a smile.

“Well hello! How is it...is it Harry?” Liam quirks an eyebrow.

“What?! Harry?” Niall chirps from the window to the kitchen.

“Two steps love” Louis whispers to blushing boy securely held by his side.

 “Hello..” he says shyly.

“Heey, Louis told me so much about you, I am Liam.” Liam says with a smile, when they reach a bar, Liam circling around it and shaking Harry´s hand.

“Hello, hey.  Uh um nice to meet you Liam, Louis told me so much about you two t—“ he doesn´t finish when there is unknown body weight all around him, comforting, pulling him into hug. He hugs back, hiding his face into someone´s shoulder. “and you must be Niall” he mumbles, ready to sleep all over again. He hears Louis chuckle next to him.

“That I am and I like to make a good first impression, you are so easy to cuddle” Niall nuzzles again his curls, messing up Louis´s morning work with Harry´s scarf.

“Can we get some coffee and probably some cookies” Louis asks Liam with a smile, sitting down on a bar stool. He watches as Niall leads Harry carefully over to window table with two comfy armchairs.

“Sure mate, so how is it going?” Liam puts some more coffee beans into the coffee machine and reaches for two cappuccino cups.

“Good well, I mean. We moved in together. In London. With a friend of mine, Perrie and her boyfriend Zayn.” Louis prepares silver plates for himself and Harry.

“Really? That´s awesome mate! Finally kicking that prick of Peter up?” Liam smiles, amusedly watching how Louis does his work for him.

“Yeah, I might physically today. Have to pick my stuff and do something with my furniture. Oh I should have ask Zayn to help me, gonna call him real quick” he grabs his phone and goes outside.

Liam waves him off, grabs two chocolate cookies and two cappuccinos and takes it over to hairdresser Niall and smiling Harry, putting it on the table and goes back to take additional order to different table.

“Hey, hey. It really suits you, you know” Niall smirks, satisfied with his scarf work.

“Really? Louis´s idea.” Harry smiles fondly with Louis´s name on his tongue. Niall watches him for a bit, liking Harry already. He has closed eyes, leaning across from him into one armrest.

“Soo, here are some cookie on your left, I bake all of them, so make sure to try different ones. These are my favourite! Here, open your mouth” he grabs half of black chocolate cookie and feeds it to Harry. Harry munches for a bit, catching chocolate crumbs with his tongue. “Mhhhmm!” his eyebrows shoot up. “That is seriously.. amazing!”

Niall´s eyes widens, goes and hugs Harry turning around, when he sees Louis coming back. “Can I keep him? He likes my cookies!” he pets Harry´s curls and it´s ridiculous how they act like they know each other for a life time.

“Actually, I have to leave and Harry needs to study for a bit, so please give him all he wants while I am gone, I´ll pay it later.” Louis smiles at the two and sips his cappuccino.

“Any luck with Zayn?” Liam asks from the bar.

“Yeah he is going to help me, I gotta go, he has to be back by noon for his work. “ he sips more before giving it back to Liam, who pours it into To go cup.

“I´ll be back soon sweet” Louis leans down and kisses Harry on the forehead, then sweetly on his lips.

“Okay” Harry whispers and smiles. “Good luck”

“Oh, you two are disgusting” Niall groans with a smile and goes back to the kitchen. Louis pulls out Harry´s books and pens on the table, letting him feel where everything is, so he won´t knock over his coffee and water.

“Okay, bye” he kisses him some more in his hair and goes to open the door, mouthing at Liam “ I am counting on you” Liam smiles widely and nods, waving him off, completing next order.

Louis leaves ridiculously happy that Harry gets along with them. He wants him to have friends. He wants him to have normal life.

Zayn waits for him by Perries car, Louis throwing him keys with a smile and sits in the car. He likes Zayn, he looks like he doesn´t think anything much about anything and anyone, but he truly has a big heart. Louis catches himself comparing Zayn to Liam. He has to take Perrie and Zayn to Stacy´s someday as well, giddy at the thought of being together with all of his friends. And Harry.. mainly Harry.

“Harry´s okay there? Stacy´s you said?” Zayn asks after a while of listening to music.

“Yeah, have you been there before? It´s just around the corner”

“Yeah I feel like I know the name, should pay them visit again sometime. It´s on the way to the uni as well right ?”

“Convenient.” Louis nods, remembering it´s Monday tomorrow already and groans. “I forgot to prepare myself for tomorrow, won´t sleep today so some coffee will be great”

They speak about the music and about Zayn´s job in the gallery. He is managing it, so that´s why they can afford such a nice flat.

“Hey, I am quite late to say this, but I feel really bad about butting into your life like this, sorry about that. I will look for some flat as soon as possible. I´ll find a part-time too so bear with –“

“Hey, that´s cool yeah? I don´t mind. Seriously.” Zayns smile is genuine. Still...

“No I mean.. you don´t seem to be in there for long and you are getting married soon too, we won´t be there longer than a month.” Louis nods, not giving a space for discussion.

“Louis, please. I love Perrie and I love how she makes our life turning different directions yeah? This is not something I wouldn´t expect from her, she´s great” Louis listens to his thick accent.

“You´ve been waiting for her to bring home another teacher with a blind boyfriend?” Louis looks at him.

“Not exactly... If it was how I was thinking it would be, then you would be homeless and Harry would be cat.”

Louis laughs, feeling so much better about the whole situation.

After long ride he directs him to his house and inhales deeply.

“Hey,” Zayns squeezes his shoulder “Perrie told me about Peter, I am here, alright?”

“Yeah.. he is not that horrible, it´s just... Don´t tell him we live in London alright?”

Zayn just nods, not asking anything as he opens his door to leave the car and Louis loves him a little bit more for that.

***--

“Harryy, try these as well!” Niall chirps for a third time.

Harry just laughs “I think I won´t eat lunch nor dinner”

“You´ll eat just my cookies, right? Right??” he pokes into his ribs and Harry laughs again.

“Niall! Back to work!” Liam yells from the bar and Harry flinches. Nialls puppy like ears flops down and with tail between his legs tiptoes back to the kitchen.

Harry reaches for his book, hiding behind it and tries to find pen on his table, failing miserably.

“Here you go” he hears Liam and feels pen in his hand. “I´ve brought you a juice, sorry for yelling, but Niall doesn´t listen otherwise that idiot.” Liam laughs fondly.

“Is he working here for a long time?” Harry asks, tasting mango juice, his favourite.

“For about a year or so, paying like that for a rent upstairs. He is a good kid. Great with hands.”

Harry sputters his juice, coughing. Liam laughs, grabbing napkin and helps Harry clean the mess.

“I meant in the kitchen, obviously “ Liam giggles at burning red Harry. So innocent.

“So you are not together?” Harry asks and Liam pauses. He looks over at Niall through the kitchen window, the blond lad is sulking adorably, trying to make a lot of mess with flour, because he knows that Liam promised to  clean the cafe tonight. He saw Niall sleeping the other night on the table with books, instead of going out and getting drunk like any other lad should do, Niall doesn´t know why Liam offered himself though.

“No we are not” Liam smiles back at Harry. “Call If you need anything, and I mean anything, okay?” He pats Harry´s head and leaves to serve new customer.

“Okay” Harry mumbles, his eyebrows furrowed. Niall probably doesn´t know that Liam likes him yet, he thinks, If that long pause is anything to go by. He sighs and gets to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Asking for forgivness, reamaining fans. Deeeeeep bow*


	11. The lull before the storm

Zayn follows Louis up the long staircase, both of them trying to catch their breaths.

“You must be..ugh.. fit after.. these, every day” Zayn huffs.

“Not really” they laugh. Finally reaching Louis´s door, he quickly unlocks and sneaks in. Everything is as it was when he left, apart from the money, obviously. The flat came with light wooden furniture already, so there was only desk and personal stuff to move, and then, he´ll be free.

They packed most of his boxes, few of them still unopened - so Louis´s laziness helped for once, when there is a knock on the door.

“Helloo? I heard some noise..” Louis hears Peter, inviting himself in, like always. “And who are you?” he narrows his eyes on Zayn, who is currently standing tall and kind of intimidating with his black quiff and neatly cut stubble.

“Hey Peter, just getting my stuff, like I said” Louis steps into the living room, where the two are looking at each other. “This is Zayn, he came to help with moving the boxes downstairs.” Zayn nods as a greeting bending down to pack the rest.

“Of course” Peter measures Zayn with his stare and then turns to look at Louis. “The other kid wouldn´t even be able to find your toothbrush after all” Peter cracks, waiting for them to catch on his joke.

Zayn smirks and even laughs a little and Louis can´t believe his eyes, when all the adrenaline rushes up to his chest, making it hard to breath. “We can squeeze some lemon in your eyes and then try If you find a way to your arse” Zayn is still smiling, like he just continues the previous joke.

And then there is only sound of Zayn peeling off the sellotape.

“Wow, that was... intense” Louis laughs when they get down with first set of boxes.

“With these kind of dicks your first impression has to be fair and clear, otherwise they´ll just take advantage of you.” Zayn shrugs and smiles at Louis “I have your back, don´t worry mate. I really like Harry too, he´s cool, so no badmouthing can be done near me.” He pats Louis on the back for good measure, walking back to the building. Louis feels like he could have been happy this whole time If he was his usual sassy self, but Peter was only person who sticked around, whatever his reasons were, so it never occurred to him to say to Peter what he thinks.  

“We had a little chat with Harry, the other day in bathroom, he told me what you did for him at school, but I also know Perrie´s version, he has no idea has he? That he is bullied..” they grab next set of boxes, snowball with Empire State building on top of one of them, which he got from his sisters last time he saw them. Louis misses them, a lot.

“No... I don´t feel like it´s important telling him, that some jogs-wanna-be´s are messing with him. He deserves so much more, you know. I wanted.. I want to.. to..”

“Protect him” Zayn nods, understanding. “I get it mate, just be careful, you know. Not telling the truth is a white lie, sometimes it does twist horribly against you, even though you meant best for him.”

“Yeah, I know.” Louis feels like Zayn is so much wiser than him, he feels with him like with older brother he never had and kind of always needed. “Thanks , for everything mate. I mean it.”

Zayn just smiles, nodding, apparently happy that he could help. On their way back Louis texts Perrie to pick up Harry and that they meet them in restaurant, while laughing with Zayn about Peter´s face and his stutter when he tried to leave with a cool face. Louis was so happy, that he was almost sure that something will go wrong eventually.

*snap*

“Perrie! God.. “Louis jumped from Harry as someone was shooting at him.

*snap* snap*

“Stop it!” Louis laughs and goes back to guide Harry´s hand with a whisk. Perrie giggles and runs for her life along with her camera.

“Does it look good?” Harry frowns when he stops, sniffing the batter.

“Looks great, here” he dips his finger in the batter pressing it between Harry´s lips. Harry jumps at the contact, but opens his mouth and licks it. Louis swallows, when he feels Harry sucking a little, his teeth grazing underside of Louis´s finger.

“Good!” Harry decides “Now we have to pour it in to those cupcake cups”

Louis still dazedly watches Harry´s lips and then slowly goes and prepares what he´s told. Louis can´t cook for shit If you ask him, he hates it. If some handsome comes to him with furrowed eyebrows that he needs to bake something for Niall as a thanks, he always says no. But this is handsome Harry, he always says yes to Harry. Now when he guides Harry and pours batter with him into cupcake cups, he really doesn´t know what more he could want. He can see Harry´s happy and satisfied glee when they put them in the oven and Louis is so happy, he can burst with glitter. And butterscotch cookies.

“We have to bring them, tomorrow morning.” Harry´s voice goes impossibly deeper and really satisfied, when Louis scratches at his scalp. He goes limp against Louis, who is standing behind sitting Harry.

“Of course, love” Louis smiles, tousling Harry´s hair gently. “Harry?”

“Mhmm?” he murmurs.

“Are you happy? I mean here? With me?” Louis gets nervous when Harry doesn´t answer right away.

“Very. Very happy.” He sounds like he´s half asleep. Louis stops, hearing Harry´s little protests. He circles around him giddy with Harry´s answer. He sits in front of this curly cute creature, reaches with his hand towards Harry and strokes his cheek with his thumb, holding Harry´s head in his palm. Harry happily nuzzles into it, holding onto Louis´s wrist.

“Can I kiss you?” Louis says quietly.

Harry makes subdued noise of approvement and licks his lips unsurely. Louis smiles and brings Harry´s head closer, hovering over his lips. Louis doesn´t kiss him right away, he admires Harry´s features, how they change, how he can tell that Harry is nervous, impatient. He decides to bit Harry´s bottom lip first. It´s not very gentle. He pulls and releases it, watching as Harry´s cheeks flush with beautiful velvety colour. He dives in again, this time sucking it gently, listening to Harry´s heavy breathing.

Harry´s lip turns deep pink and Louis just goes straight back, not able to wait any longer, kissing him and it feels like falling into fluffy pillows. He brings his other hand up, scratching at Harry´s scalp again and pulling a little at his hair. He hears this sweet little mewl from Harry´s lips and he abruptly stops, panting quite heavily for such a short kiss. He keeps his hands on either side of Harry´s head, holding him against his forehead. They pant into each other mouths.

“Did I do something wrong?” Harry whispers with a raw voice.

“You did something very right, that´s why we need to stop, so our cupcakes won´t witness something funny.” Louis laughs still breathless and kisses smiling Harry on his forehead. “I am very, very happy too, Harry Styles.” He kisses those pillow lips once more, lingering there for a second, before standing up.

“Louis?”

“Yeah?” he checks on cupcakes.

“Tomorrow is school..” Harry fiddles with his fingers.

“Yeah..”

“And like... I was thinking... isn´t it weird for two of us be like.. together?” he looks in Louis´s general direction, expression uncertain.

“What do you mean? Like student and teacher or.. man and man ?” Louis stops. They never talked about it. Louis never asked Harry if he´s gay, he just assumed.

“Both.. I guess.. Is it normal? I .. I..” he suddenly seems distressed, confused by his own words.

“Hey hey..” Louis sits back down and holds both of Harry´s hands. He thinks, If he was blind his whole life, then how can he know if he likes how woman looks like or man looks like? He can only love personality, which is really lovely, but must be so confusing. “Harry.. do you like men? Do you prefer men over women?” he asks carefully.

Harry is silently crying, thinking really hard. Thinking about his crush on his female teacher on high school, thinks about his crush on this male singer and how his voice sounds, thinks about this nice girl in sweet shop down the road from his old flat and then his mind comes back to Louis. How he likes his morning voice, how he likes when Louis touches his waist and how he feels all light and like crying in a good way. How Louis smells and how he always protects him.

“I like you” he decides, squeezing Louis´s hands back.

Louis is little taken back, obviously he knows that they have chemistry, but.. “I like you too, babe” he kisses Harry´s hands for a good measure “very much so, but did you ever like any other boys as well ?”

“Well I had a crush on both sides, I guess.. I don´t think it was always a boy though..” Harry makes disgruntled noise and wipes his eyes.

“Okay okay, that´s fine. If you like both sides then it means you are bisexual, but you don´t have to name it, you just like who you like, okay? It´s fine. Now you have me and I´ll bug you for a good amount of time” Louis smiles and wipes remaining tears on Harry´s cheeks. “It´s fine, I´m not a teacher yet, but I think it will be better for you if we just keep on acting like we always do, we don´t have to share it with everyone else. I would rather keep you in a safety of my pocket if I could” Louis smiles at blushing Harry, who looks satisfied with Louis´s answer, nodding. Meanwhile Louis thinks what will happen, if someone finds out about them, he hopes that this school is as accepting as his uni was.

They drizzle Niall´s cupcakes with lemon glaze and leave them on the counter. Louis guides sleepy Harry to the bathroom, helps him brush his teeth, turns around when Harry changes into his pj´s and then guides him with Harry´s head on his shoulder to their bed. “I have some preparations to do, so I´ll be right in the kitchen okay?” Louis tucks Harry in, bringing their duvet up to his chin again and gives him Eskimo kiss.

“Mhmm, okay. Hurry up though” Harry´s sleep voice is the cutest and the sexiest thing he knows.

“I will... good night” he whispers, kissing his nose and forehead. He sits for a while next to Harry, interlacing his fingers with Harry´s hair gently. “I like you very much, Harry.” still whispering. He feels like their first I like you wasn´t said properly, with enough emotion.

“Like you very much too..” Harry mumbles, tiny little satisfied smile on his lips.

Louis smiles, grabs his stuff and moves quietly to the kitchen, asks Perrie about teachers, showing her his schedule. He gets little amount money for all of this, so he really needs to look for a job tomorrow after school.

“Hey, I heard about Peter from Zayn today” Perrie drops her pen and looks up to writing Louis across from the desk in the kitchen.

“Yeah, Zayn was cool.” Louis mumbles, distracted.

“Yeah... I just want you to know, that.. If.. If someone ever says anything about Harry, or If you have any kind of problems, come here to us. You´re always welcome okay?”

Louis looks up to Perrie, she looks like she might cry, so sincere. “Yeah okay. Thank you Pez”

She smiles at him and reaches to squeeze his hand. “I have no idea how hard it is or it will be, just.. I admire for what you do to Harry, he deserves someone like you.” She retreats smiling and then gets back to her work. Louis looks at her and thinks. He is sure that he can take care of Harry If things get out of hands tomorrow or next week or next year. He will look after him until Harry tells him not to.

After hours of sorting out his papers, he washes his face and looks at himself in the mirror. It´s going to be alright, right? Everything is going to be okay..

**Author's Note:**

> Any kind of feedback would be lovely!! :-)


End file.
